ONY  ALEXANDER': 


EXPERIENCED 
TRAPPER 


HUNTERSandTRAPPERS 


H.LPENCE  N.Y 


TO  NY  ALEXANDERS 


.Oi 


COPYRIGHT,  1887,  BY 
TONY  ALEXANDER. 


Press  of  J.  J.   Little  &  Co. 
Astor  Place,  New  York. 


PREFACE. 


ALTHOUGH  books  on  nearly  every  kind  of 
sport  and  the  nature  and  habits  of  game  are 
numerous  enough,  very  few  of  them  are  the 
work  of  men  of  actual  practical  experience 
who  have  made  a  business  of  hunting  and 
trapping  animals.  These  books,  for  the 
most  part,  have  been  prepared  by  gentlemen 
with  little  practice  and  abundant  theory- 
theory  which  continues  to  prove  fatal  to  the 
success  of  the  earnest  sportsman  until  he 
makes  up  his  mind  to  rely  on  his  own  prac- 
tically acquired  knowledge,  which  generally 
serves  him  a  thousand  times  better. 

In  hunting  and  trapping,  as  in  every  other 
practical  business  matter,  it  is  only  the  man 
who  has  had  continuous  experience  for  a 


b  PREFACE. 

long  time  and  under  many  and  various  cir- 
cumstances that  can  be  trusted  to  advise. 

Like  many  others,  I  at  first  studied  the 
works  of  Newhouse  and  other  theoretical 
sportsmen,  but  met  with  comparatively  little 
success,  until,  by  my  own  experience,  I  had 
acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  a  real 
sportsman's  work.  I  do  not  consider  the 
dressing  of  skins  and  dyeing  of  furs  to  be 
any  proper  part  of  this,  although  some 
writers  give  very  elaborate  instructions  for 
these  processes.  The  hunter  is  nothing  if 
not  a  man  who  loves  the  woods  and  fields 
and  fresh  air  for  their  own  sake,  and  cherishes 
a  hearty  hatred  for  factories,  dye  pots  and 
tan  vats.  What  the  true  sportsman  needs 
to  know  is  the  nature  and  habits  of  the 
animals  which  he  hunts,  the  best  bait  to  at- 
tract them,  the  surest  traps  to  hold  them, 
the  most  efficient  gun  for  his  use,  the  proper 
mode  of  caring  for  game  when  captured, 
and  enough  about  the  best  means  of  stretch- 


PREFACE.  7 

ing  and  drying  skins  to  insure  their  reach- 
ing market  in  such  shape  as  to  command  the 
best  prices. 

In  compliance  with  the  request  of  many 
friends,  I  will  give  to  the  public  in  the  fol- 
lowing pages  the  results  of  my  experience 
for  many  years  in  these  matters  in  the  wild- 
est parts  of  the  South  and  West,  and  will 
ask  especial  attention  to  the  most  important 
matter  of  using  the  most  effective  traps. 
Writers  are  plenty  who  can  give  the  name 
and  cut  of  every  trap  and  deadfall  that  has 
been  used  in  the  last  century,  but  few  have 
any  real  knowledge  as  to  which  of  them  will 
do  the  surest  work.  Undoubtedly  S.  New- 
house  invented  the  best  trap  for  all  kinds  of 
game  that  has  been  in  use  for  many  years  ; 
but  it  is  far  from  perfect,  and  after  experienc- 
ing many  difficulties  with  it  for  more  than 
eight  years  I  have  invented  my  "  Body  Trap." 
This  I  can  demonstrate  to  be  a  great  im- 
provement on  the  Newhouse  or  any  other 


8  PREFACE, 

trap  now  in  use,  and  perfectly  adapted  to 
capturing  with  certainty  every  variety  of 
American  game.  The  reader  will  find  it 
carefully  described  in  the  chapter  entitled 
"  About  Traps." 

T.  A. 


CONTENTS. 


_  PAGE 

PREFACE 5 

THE  HUNTER'S  AND  TRAPPER'S  OUTFIT  AND  How  TO  USE  IT.,   u 

GENERAL  HINTS  TO  TRAPPERS 20 

STRETCHERS  AND  PELTING- POLE  AND  How  TO  MAKE  THEM.  . .  26 

SETTING  AND  BAITING  TRAPS 31 

THE  PROPER  SEASON  FOR  TRAPPING 39 

THE  NATURE  AND  HABITS  OF  AND  MODE  OF  TRAPPING 

THE  MINK 41 

THE  MUSKRAT 45 

THE  SQUIRREL 48 

THE  RABBIT 50 

THE  SKUNK 52 

THE  OTTER 55 

THE  BEAVER 59 

THE  RACCOON 65 

THE  OPOSSUM       68 

THE  WILDCAT  71 

THE  Fox 74 

THE  WOLF 78 

THE  BEAR 81 

THE  PANTHER 85 


IO  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

THE  NATURE  AND  HABITS  OF  AND  MODE  OF  TRAPPING — Cont. 

THE  DEER 91 

THE  WILD  TURKEY 93 

THE  PRAIRIE  DOG 95 

THE  ALLIGATOR 97 

How  TO  HUNT  THE  BEAR 99 

How  TO  HUNT  THE  DEER  BY  DAY  OR  NIGHT 102 

How  TO  HUNT  THE  WILD  TURKEY 106 

ABOUT  TRAPS , i°9 

THE  ALEXANDER  TRAP-CLAMP 119 


PRACTICAL   HUNTER'S   AND 
TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 


THE    HUNTER'S    AND    TRAPPER'S 
OUTFIT  AND  HOW  TO  USE  IT. 

I  WILL  now  tell  the  secrets  of  my  craft- 
hand  over  my  belt  in  fact — to  my  fellow-hun- 
ters and  trappers,  many  of  whom  have  often 
worked  hard  to  win  it.  Perhaps  this  is  only 
fair  to  some  of  you  who  before  now  have 
hunted  unsuccessfully  over  territory  where  I 
had  been  just  one  season  ahead  of  you.  But 
you  shall  not  only  know  all  that  I  have  to 
tell,  but  I  will  put  you  in  the  way  of  having 
the  best  tools  to  work  with — something  that 
never  makes  a  snap  and  will  pay  well  on  the 
old  trapping  grounds. 


12  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

Three  hunters  form  the  most  suitable 
party  for  trapping  together  ;  one  to  pelt  and 
stretch  skins  and  cook,  the  other  two  to  trap 
and  hunt. 

The  outfit  for  three  consists  of  two  dozen 
beaver,  two  dozen  coon,  two  dozen  mink,  and 
two  or  four  bear  traps  ;  two  two-pound  axes, 
one  four-pound  ax,  one  pelting  and  three 
skinning  knives,  one  stew-pot,  one  frying- 
pan,  one  bake-oven,  one  tea-kettle,  -one  set 
tin  plates  and  cups,  one  coffee-mill,  one  dish- 
pan,  one  water  and  two  dinner  buckets,  three 
dish  rags,  and  one  bar  soap  ;  one  pair  short- 
legged  gum  boots,  rubber  lined,  to  each  man  ; 
one  oil-skin  coat  to  each  man  ;  one  wall  tent, 
nine  by  nine  ;  one  fly,  ten  by  twelve  ;  one  tent 
stove ;  two  dug-out  boats  ;  one  two-oared  skiff 
large  enough  to  carry  one  thousand  pounds. 
In  the  shape  of  fire-arms,  there  would  be  re- 
quired for  each  man  one  Winchester  rifle,  one 
breach-loading  shot  gun  (the  duck  gun  is  the 
most  suitable  for  trappers),  and  one  improved 


TRAPPER'S  CAMP  AND  OUTFIT. 


HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  OUTFIT.  15 

Colt's  pistol,  forty-four  caliber,  with  belt  and 
scabbard.  Each  man  would  also  require  one 
pocket  compass  and  one  headlight. 

How  to  use  the  outfit. — After  you  have 
found  the  stream  you  want  to  trap,  start  in  as 
near  the  head  as  you  can  well  use  your  boats, 
and  there  make  your  camp. 

Let  one  trapper  take  the  upper  end  of  the 
swamp  and  the  other  the  lower,  each  man  trap- 
ping for  three  miles  on  his  part  of  the  swamp, 
and  for  two  or  three  miles  on  each  side  of  the 
stream.  In  this  way  about  six  miles  of  ter- 
ritory can  be  trapped  at  the  first  camp,  and 
each  man  can  make  the  circuit  in  a  day,  bring- 
ing his  game  in  his  boat  to  the  camp.  Always 
take  your  dinner  with  you  on  starting  out, 
and  reset  your  traps  before  you  return  to 
camp,  as  in  this  way  you  will  lose  neither 
your  dinner  nor  your  time  ingoing  to  and  fro. 
Always  search  small  streams  and  lakes  well 
on  both  sides,  which  will  often  have  to  be 
done  by  leaving  your  boat  and  going  afoot. 


I  6  HUNTERS  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

Unless  you  follow  this  rule  you  will  frequently 
miss  the  principal  game  of  your  territory, 
such  as  beaver,  otter,  coon,  mink,  and  other 
animals  that  live  about  such  waters. 

After  the  party  has  trapped  and  hunted  the 
first  camping  ground  until  the  game  has 
become  scarce,  the  man  who  has  worked  the 
upper  end  of  the  stream  takes  up  his  traps  in 
the  morning  and  returns  to  camp.  Here  he 
finds  his  companion,  who  has  the  care  of 
the  skins,  with  the  boat  already  loaded  with 
the  camp  equipage  and  ready  to  start.  To- 
gether they  get  into  their  boats,  go  down  the 
stream  for  six  miles,  and  select  a  camping 
place.  After  they  have  pitched  the  tent  the 
trapper  goes  below  the  camp  and  sets  his 
traps.  The  other  trapper,  who  took  the 
lower  end  of  the  first  trapping  ground,  now 
has  the  upper  end,  and  on  the  same  day  takes 
up  his  traps,  and  sets  them  on  new  ground. 
By  this  process  of  work  no  time  is  lost,  and 
each  man  has  still  his  three  miles  of  territory 


HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  OUTFIT.          17 

to  work.  If  at  any  time  there  is  a  surplus  of 
traps,  let  the  man  who  has  charge  of  the  skins 
try  his  luck  ;  but  it  will  be  found  that  he  will 
have  very  little  time  to  trap. 

There  is  one  other  way  in  which  I  have 
done  some  very  profitable  trapping — that  is 
working  single-handed  and  boarding  with  the 
farmers.  All  that  a  man  needs  for  trapping 
in  this  way,  besides  a  few  dollars  for  neces- 
sary expenses,  is  one  dozen  beaver  or  otter 
traps,  one  dozen  coon  traps,  one  dozen  mink 
traps,  one  small  dug-out  boat,  one  pair  short- 
legged  gum  boots,  rubber  lined  ;  one  oil-skin 
coat,  one  pocket  compass,  one  forty-four 
caliber  Colt's  improved  pistol,  a  valise  and 
some  old  clothes.  Go  to  most  any  one  of  the 
small  streams  of  the  South  or  West,  provided 
it  is  large  enough  to  float  your  boat,  find  a 
boarding-place,  and  trap  the  stream  and  its 
tributaries  for  three  miles  each  way  until  the 
game  gets  scarce  ;  then  leave  your  skins  with 
the  farmer,  take  your  valise  and  traps,  get  in 


1 8  HUNTERS  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

your  boat,  go  up  or  down  the  stream  for  three 
miles  or  the  distance  you  have  trapped,  and 
then  commence  setting  your  traps  again  until 
near  night.  This  done,  listen  for  the  nearest 
cock  that  crows,  get  out  of  your  boat,  make 
it  fast,  go  straight  to  where  you  heard  the 
cock  crow,  and  you  will  be  pretty  sure  to  find 
a  farm-house  ;  here  call  for  the  landlord,  tell 
him  your  business  and  you  are  quite  certain 
to  find  yourself  a  welcome  guest.  The  farm- 
er's wife  will  be  glad  enough  to  have  you 
catch  the  coons,  mink  and  other  animals  that 
kill  her  fowls.  The  farmer  himself  will  be  no 
less  pleased  to  have  you  trap  the  beaver,  and 
will  tell  you  how  often  they  have  cut  his 
fences.  From  him  you  can  learn  of  every 
pond  and  stream  they  have  dammed  up  for 
five  miles  Ground.  Catch  all  the  game  there  is 
within  reach  ;  then  find  out  from  your  host  who 
is  the  best  man  for  you  to  stay  with  at  your 
next  stopping  point,  three  or  four  miles  off  in 
the  direction  you  are  traveling.  He  will  often 


HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  OUTFIT.          ig 

give  you  a  letter  of  introduction  recommend- 
ing you  as  a  successful  trapper  who  will  do 
his  neighbor  a  great  deal  of  good  So,  leav- 
ing your  skins  with  your  friend,  and  having 
shaken  hands  all  around  with  the  family,  say 
good-bye  and  move  on  to  your  trapping 
ground.  First  set  out  your  traps,  and  when 
you  go  to  your  new  boarding  place  you  find 
yourself  a  welcome  guest  again  as  long  as  you 
can  catch  game.  This  will  be  found  a  very 
pleasant  way  of  working. 

Always  leave  your  skins  on  the  stretchers 
until  you  get  ready  to  ship.  Try  to  ship 
your  furs  once  a  month  or  oftener.  When 
you  get  ready  to  make  a  shipment  leave  your 
outfit  with  the  man  with  whom  you  are  board- 
ing, borrow  a  horse  and  saddle  from  him, 
gather  your  furs  together  from  the  different 
farmers,  send  them  off,  and  then  go  back  and 
get  to  work  again. 


GENERAL    HINTS    TO    TRAPPERS. 

THE  skins  of  animals  that  have  been 
trapped  are  always  valued  more  highly  than 
those  of  such  as  have  been  shot,  for  the  lead 
not  only  makes  holes  in  the  skins  but  injures 
the  fur  so  that  the  manufacturer  can  not  use 
them  in  making  muffs,  robes,  or  trimmings 
of  any  kind  ;  he  can  only  work  them  up  into 
hats  and  similar  goods  owing  to  the  checks 
and  bawks  which  the  shot  holes  have  made 
in  the  fur.  To  realize  the  utmost  for  skins 
they  must  be  taken  care  of  at  once,  cleaned 
and  properly  prepared. 

In  warm  weather  visit  your  traps  once  a 
day,  as  otherwise  the  skins  will  taint  very 
quickly. 

As  soon  as  the  animal  is  dry  attend  to  the 
skinning  and  pelting. 


GENERAL  HINTS    TO    TRAPPERS.  21 

Be  sure  that  your  pelting-pole  is  perfectly 
smooth. 

Avoid  as  much  as  possible  getting  grease 
on  the  fur. 

Scrape  off  all  the  surplus  flesh  and  fat  and 
be  careful  not  to  go  so  deep  as  to  cut  the 
fibers  of  the  skin. 

If  the  pelt  is  tough  always  commence  at 
the  tail  and  pelt  toward  the  head. 

Never  dry  skins  in  the  sun  nor  by  the  fire 
unless  it  is  very  damp  weather;  and  in  this 
case  never  let  them  entirely  dry  by  the  fire 
or  sun,  but  just  enough  to  glaze  the  pelt. 

Never  let  your  skins  get  wet. 

Always  hang  your  skins  in  the  shade  where 
the  wind  can  fan  them  about.  Watch  them 
carefully,  however,  taking  pains  to  remove 
the  fly  blows  by  scraping  them  off  with  a 
knife.  If  you  neglect  this  the  flies  will  blow 
them  white.  The  flies  will  not  trouble  them 
after  they  are  once  dry. 

Never  use  any  preparation  of  any  kind  in 


22  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

curing  or  drying  skins,  and  do  not  wash 
them  in  water  ;  simply  stretch  and  dry  them 
as  they  are  when  taken  from  the  pelting  pole. 
In  stretching  a  cased  skin  always  turn  the 
pelt  out. 

Always  leave  the  skins  on  the  stretchers 
until  you  are  ready  to  ship  ;  if  taken  off  be- 
fore they  are  apt  to  wrinkle  and  look  dam- 
aged. 

Make  your  shipments  as  often  as  possible, 
as  the  skins  show  up  better  when  first 
dried. 

Never  hang  your  skins  in  a  smoke-house, 
as  the  dampness  created  by  the  salt  causes 
them  to  mold. 

Never  double  or  roll  your  skins,  for  by  so 
doing  your  are  sure  to  make  rough  places  in 
the  fur. 

Always  use  your  gum  boots  in  setting 
traps.  In  this  way  you  avoid  leaving  any 
scent. 

Always  feel  under  the  treadle  of  your  trap 


GENERAL  HINTS    TO    TRAPPERS.  23 

after  setting  it  in  order  to  remove  the  sand 
or  anything  that  may  keep  it  from  falling. 

In  using  a  stake  for  a  fastening  always 
drive  it  until  the  top  goes  under  the  ground. 

In  setting  traps  for  beaver,  or  otter,  or  any 
water  animal,  make  a  slide  or  trail  for  it  that 
resembles  its  own. 

Remember  that  all  animals  can  be  at- 
tracted by  the  scent  of  their  kind,  which  is 
their  urine  and  musk. 

Never  set  your  traps  deeper  than  three 
inches  under  the  water. 

Always  keep  your  traps  clear  of  rust.  This 
may  be  done  by  washing  and  scrubbing  them 
with  sand,  or  smoking  them. 

Never  oil  or  grease  your  traps,  as  many 
writers  have  advised,  for  animals  are  not  ac- 
customed to  oil  or  grease. 

Always  remove  the  teeth  from  the  jaws 
before  you  throw  the  trap,  or  place  anything 
in  it  that  they  could  strike  against,  as  other- 
wise the  jaws  are  likely  to  be  injured. 


24  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

Two  men  must  not  try  to  trap  the  same 
ground  at  once,  as  one  is  always  in  the  way 
of  the  other. 

Never  take  your  gun  with  you  when  set- 
ting your  traps  afoot ;  but  you  can  carry  it 
with  you  without  much  trouble  when  working 
with  your  boat. 

Always  carry  your  revolver  from  morning 
till  night,  as  you  will  often  get  shots  at  game 
of  different  kinds. 

Always  conceal  your  traps  from  the  sight 
of  game  and  leave  the  ground  as  nearly  as 
possible  in  the  same  condition  as  that  in 
which  you  found  it. 

Always  turn  the  treadle  of  your  trap  away 
from  the  direction  in  which  you  expect  the 
game  to  come,  as  catching  behind  the 
shoulders  gives  more  space  in  which  to  cap- 
ture the  animal. 

Never  bloody  the  ground  with  a  dead  ani- 
mal where  you  expect  to  set  traps. 

Always      notice      carefully      the     feeding 


GENERAL   HINTS    TO    TRAPPERS.  25 

grounds  of  deer  and  antelope  during  the  day 
so  that  you  will  know  where  to  hunt  with 
your  headlight  at  night. 

Never  fire-hunt  near  your  traps  as  it  will 
disturb  the  game  that  you  are  attempting  to 
capture  in  them. 

If  the  bead  of  your  rifle  is  not  already 
perpendicular  at  the  back  end  with  the  bar- 
rel take  a  file  and  make  it  so.  This  will  not 
injure  it,  but  will  make  it  shine  as  bright 
from  the  headlight  as  from  the  sun. 

Always  pitch  your  tent  on  a  ridge  or  knoll 
in  rainy  weather  and  ditch  it  on  the  inside. 

Make  up  your  bed  every  morning  before 
breakfast,  and  make  it  a  rule  of  your  camp, 
that  if  any  one  lies  down  on  the  bed  during 
the  day  he  must  be  taken  by  the  hands  and 
feet  and  bumped  against  a  stump  or  thrown 
into  the  creek.  Be  sure  to  enforce  this  law 
rigidly. 


STRETCHERS  AND  PELTING-POLE 
AND  HOW  TO  MAKE  THEM. 


THE    MINK    STRETCHER. 

TAKE  a  piece  of  board  twenty  inches  long, 
six  inches  wide,  and  one-half  inch  thick.  Give 
it  a  gradual  slope  of  one  and  a  half  inches  on 
each  edge,  leaving  the  board  its  full  width  at 
one  end  and  half  its  width  at  the  other,  also 
slope  from  the  edge  on  both  sides  to  the  cen- 
ter, leaving  the  board  its  full  thickness  in  the 
center  and  one-half  its  thickness  on  the  edges. 


THE    MUSKRAT    STRETCHER. 

Take  a  piece  of  board  fifteen  inches  long, 
from  four    to  six  inches  wide,  and  one-half 


STRETCHERS  AND   PELTING-POLE.  2J 

inch  thick.  Starting  two  inches  from  the  end 
on  the  corners  give  one  end  an  oval  round, 
and  slope  from  the  edge  to  the  center  on  both 
sides,  leaving  the  board  its  full  thickness  in 
the  center  and  one-half  its  thickness  on  the 
edges. 


THE    SKUNK    STRETCHER. 

Take  a  piece  of  board  twenty-four  inches 
long,  seven  inches  wide,  and  one-half  inch 
thick.  Give  it  a  gradual  slope  of  one  and 
one-half  inches  on  each  edge,  leaving  the  board 
its  full  width  at  one  end  and  four  inches  wide 
at  the  other ;  also  slope  from  the  edge  on  both 
sides  to  the  center,  leaving  the  board  its  full 
thickness  in  the  center  and  one-half  its  thick- 
ness on  the  edges. 


THE  OTTER    STRETCHER. 


28  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

Take  a  piece  of  board  six  feet  long,  seven 
inches  wide,  and  one-half  inch  thick.  Give  it 
a  gradual  slope  of  one  and  a  half  inches  on 
each  edge,  leaving  the  board  its  full  width 
at  one  end  and  four  inches  at  the  other ;  also 
give  it  a  gradual  slope  from  the  edges  on  each 
side  to  the  center,  leaving  the  board  its  full 
thickness  in  the  center  and  one-half  its  thick- 
ness on  the  edges. 


THE    HOOP    STRETCHER    AND    ITS    STICK. 

These  are  used  for  stretching  the  skin  of 
the  beaver,  coon,  fox,  cat,  bear,  deer,  etc.  Cut 
a  withe  or  vine  of  required  strength,  bend  it 


STRETCHERS  AND  PELTING-POLE.  29 

in  a  circle,  forming  a  hoop  the  size  of  the  skin 
to  be  stretched,  and  fasten  the  ends  together 
with  twine  or  bark.  Cut  a  stick  four  or  six 
inches  longer  than  the  diameter  of  the  hoop, 
make  a  notch  in  each  end,  and  hollow  the  stick 
out  to  one-half  the  size  on  one  side,  thus  pre- 
venting it  from  touching  the  skin. 


THE    PELTING-POLE    AND    KNIFE. 

To  make  the  pelting-pole  take  a  piece  of 
timber  five  feet  long,  eight  inches  wide  and 
four  inches  thick  ;  make  this  as  near  round 
as  possible  on  one  side,  leaving  it  flat  on  the 


30  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPERS    GUIDE. 

other.  Sharpen  one  end  of  the  pole  and 
then  drive  it  into  the  ground  in  a  slanting 
direction  until  the  upper  end  is,  say,  three 
feet  from  the  ground.  Put  a  brace  near  the 
lower  end  to  keep  the  pole  from  swaying 
while  in  use. 


SETTING  AND  BAITING  TRAPS. 

IN  trapping  there  are  two  things  that  must 
be  constantly  borne  in  mind,  viz.  :  first,  to  so 
set  your  trap  that  the  animal  will  be  induced 
to  go  to  it ;  and  second,  to  have  such  a  trap 
as  will  both  catch  the  game  that  comes  to  it, 
and  hold  the  captive  so  that  he  cannot  release 
himself.  The  steel  trap  comes  nearest  to 
meeting  these  requirements  and  has  taken  the 
lead  over  all  other  animal  traps. 

Too  much  preparation  must  not  be  made 
around  your  traps,  and  care  must  be  taken  not 
to  leave  too  much  scent  of  yourself.  Every- 
thing must  be  left  as  natural  as  possible. 
Nearly  every  wild  animal  is  extremely  shy 
and  is  easily  frightened  off. 

In  trapping  animals  the  skins  of  which  are 
valuable,  precautions  must  be  taken  to  pre- 


32  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPERS  GUIDE. 

vent  injury  to  their  fur,  such  as  may  come 
from  their  devouring  themselves  or  being  de- 
voured by  other  animals. 

A  contrivance  called  a  spring-pole  is  in  gen- 
eral use  for  this  purpose  and  is  recommended 
by  many  writers  (with  whom  I  do  not  agree) 
as  the  best  means  of  saving  the  animal  from 
its  own  violence  and  the  depredations  of  oth- 
ers. It  is  made  as  follows: 

Cut  a  pole  of  required  size  and  drive  one 
end  of  it  into  the  ground ;  bend  it  down 
from  the  top  and  attach  the  trap  to  it,  then 
fasten  the  bent  pole  to  a  notch  or  hook  on  a 
small  tree,  or  a  stake  driven  in  the  groun  1. 
When  the  animal  is  caught  it  unhooks  the 
pole,  which  flies  back  and  lifts  it  up  into 
the  air.  For  at  least  two  reasons  this  seems 
to  me  a  very  imperfect  device.  When  the 
spring  pole  straightens,  the  chain  of  the  trap 
winds  around  it,  letting  the  animal  swing 
back  and  forth,  and  giving  it  every  possible 
chance  to  wear  its  skin  out  against  the  pole 


SETTING  AND  BAITING    TRAPS. 


33 


before  morning.  Suppose,  too,  you  wanted 
to  swing  a  bear  or  some  other  large  animal : 
you  would  have  to  get  a  steam-engine  or  two 
good  horses  to  pull  your  pole  down ;  and 
then  you  would  leave  so  much  sign  that  no 
animal  would  come  within  one  hundred  yards 
of  your  trap. 

The  best  contrivance  for  swinging  animals 
is  what  I  call  a  swing-jack,  which  is  made  in 
this  way.  Take  a  rope  of  required  strength 
and  procure  a  stone  or  small  log,  that  is,  say, 
one-third  heavier  than  the  animal  you  expect 
to  swing.  Tie  the  rope  to  the  center  of  the 
weight,  making  a  slip  knot  in  order  that  it 
may  draw  down  tight  on  it ;  throw  the  other 
end  of  the  rope  over  the  two  limbs  of  a  tree 
that  are  on  an  angle  with  each  other,  letting 
it  cross  them  some  three  or  four  feet  from 
the  trunk.  Cut  a  stick  or  lever  about  one 
foot  in  length  of  sufficient  strength  to  hold 
the  weight,  and  flatten  it  on  two  sides.  Cut 
two  stakes  strong  enough  when  driven  into 

3 


34  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPERS  GUIDE. 

the  ground  to  resist  the  weight.  Make  a 
notch  in  the  large  ends  of  the  stakes  one 
inch  deep;  drive  them  into  the  ground  ten 
inches  apart,  with  the  notches  facing  each 
other,  and  the  length  of  your  trap-chain  from 
where  you  expect  to  set  your  trap  ;  then  run 
the  rope  through  the  ring  of  the  chain,  pull 
on  the  rope,  and  hoist  the  weight  as  high 
as  necessary ;  then  place  the  lever  in  the 
notches  of  the  stakes  and  make  the  rope  fast 
to  its  center,  letting  the  ring  be  above  the 
lever.  The  animal  when  caught  releases  the 
lever  by  its  struggles,  and  the  weight  being 
the  heavier  lifts  •  it  in  the  air,  giving  it 
no  chance  to  come  into  contact  with  any- 
thing. 

If  there  is  no  tree  at  the  point  where  you 
want  to  set  your  trap,  a  post  can  be  used  by 
nailing  two  arms  to  it  at  right  angles  with 
each  other.  There  should  be  a  notch  in 
the  outer  end  of  each  arm  for  the  rope  to 
work  in. 


THE    SWING-JACK. 


SETTING  AND  BAITING    TRAPS. 


37 


Animals  that  live  in  the  water 
require  a  different  contrivance 
such  as  the  following  : 

Cut  a  pole  ten  or  twelve  feet 
long,  leaving  one  branch  or  fork 
two  or  three  feet  from  the  small 
end  of  the  pole  to  prevent  the 
ring  of  the  trap-chain  from  slip- 
ping off.  Take  your  ax  and  hack 
beards  on  the  pole  from  the  butt 
end  to  the  top.  Cut  a  small 
hook,  place  your  pole  in  a  slant- 
ing position  with  the  small  end 
in  the  deepest  part  of  the  stream. 
Make  the  pole  fast  by  driving  it 
into  the  bed  of  the  stream  or 
lake  with  your  ax  ;  spring  the  up- 
per end  down  until  it  goes  under 
the  water,  slip  the  chain-ring  over 
this  end  and  be  sure  it  is  free  to 
traverse  the  full  length  of  the 
pole  ;  make  the  latter  fast  at  the 
upper  end  of  the  hook.  When 


38  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

the  animal  is  caught  he  plunges  in  the  water 
toward  the  lower  end  of  the  pole,  the  ring 
sliding  down  the  pole  to  the  bottom  of  the 
stream,  and  the  beards  preventing  the  animal 
from  pulling  the  ring  up  the  pole  and  going 
ashore.  A  short  chain  does  not  permit  the 
game  to  even  reach  the  surface. 


THE    PROPER  SEASON   FOR  TRAP- 
PING. 

ALL  furs  are  best  in  the  three  months  of 
December,  January  and  February,  and  are 
very  good  in  March  if  the  spring  is  late ; 
though  trapping  can  be  made  profitable  any 
time  between  the  first  of  October  and  the 
middle  of  April  in  the  Southern  and  Western 
States,  and  for  a  month  later  in  the  Northern 
States.  All  fur  skins  are  prime  in  the  above- 
named  months,  the  pelts  being  white  and 
classed  prime  by  fur  dealers  ;  the  fur  is  then 
glossy  and  of  the  richest  color. 

There  are  some  variations  according  to  the 
latitude  as  to  the  exact  period  at  which  furs 
become  prime,  the  more  northerly  being  a 
little  in  advance. 

Trappers  are  liable  to  begin  too  early  in 


4O  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE, 

the  season  in  consequence  of  which  much 
poor  fur  is  caught  ;  this  must  be  sold  at  low 
prices,  and  is  unprofitable  to  the  trapper,  the 
fur  buyer  and  the  manufacturer. 

In  the  spring  dark  or  blue  spots  can  be  no- 
ticed on  the  pelt  of  the  skins,  and  this  is  an 
indication  that  the  animal  has  commenced 
shedding,  and  a  sure  sign  that  it  is  about 
time  to  stop  trapping.  It  will  not  be  long 
after  these  spots  appear  that  the  furs  are 
worthless.  All  animals  shed  their  fur  once  a 
year,  commencing  generally  the  first  of  April 
and  finishing  about  the  first  of  June. 


THE    MINK. 

THE  mink  is  found  in  nearly  all  parts  of 
the  United  States,  but  is  most  numerous  in 
the  South.  It  subsists  on  birds,  fish,  fowls, 


rabbits  and  other  small  animals.  It  has  its 
young  once  a  year,  generally  in  the  month 
of  April,  having  from  two  to  four  at  a  birth. 
The  mink  is  a  great  fisher  and  chicken-roost 


42  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

robber,  making  its  home  for  the  most  part  in 
hollow  logs  and  underground  holes,  gener- 
ally near  water. 

The  baits  for  the  mink  are  made  as  fol- 
lows : 

Take  two  ounces  of  the  mink's  urine  and 
add  to  it  the  musk  of  one  mink  (this  is  found 
near  the  vent),  and  also  one  ounce  of  fish 
oil.  This  is  made  by  cutting  fish  in  small 
pieces  and  placing  them  in  a  loosely  stopped 
bottle.  If  this  be  hung  in  the  sun  for  two 
weeks,  the  fish  will  rot  and  the  oil  rise 
to  the  top.  The  bait  thus  made  is  called 
natural  bait. 

Or,  take  the  flesh  of  rabbits,  birds  or  fowls, 
or  the  flesh  of  the  mink  itself ;  but  these 
baits  are  greatly  helped  by  using  one  or  two 
drops  of  the  natural  bait. 

In  hunting  the  mink,  go  near  the  edge  of 
streams  and  lakes  and  search  for  its  trails. 
On  finding  them,  place  some  of  your  traps 
just  in  the  edge  of  the  water,  and  make  them 


THE  MINK,  43 

fast  with  a  stake,  taking  pains  to  conceal 
them  well.  Place  the  flesh  bait  on  each  side 
of  the  trap  six  inches  from  it.  The  mink 
after  getting  one  of  the  baits  will  attempt 
to  cross  the  trap  to  get  the  other. 

In  setting  on  dry  land  for  the  mink,  it  is 
best  to  place  the  trap  near  water  anyway,  as 
the  animal's  trail  is  in  the  water  or  just  on 
the  bank.  Find  a  crevice  or  hole  that  forms 
a  V  or  make  one  by  laying  two  small  logs 
together,  forming  a  right  angle.  Place  the 
bait  in  the  small  end  of  the  angle  or  V  and 
the  trap  in  the  large  end,  and  having  made 
it  fast  to.  a  stake,  cover  the  top  of  the  V  or 
angle  with  bark  or  sticks.  Traps  can  be  set 
every  thirty  yards  for  the  mink  when  you 
see  plenty  of  fresh  signs  about.  If  the  mink 
is  visiting  your  chicken  coop,  stop  all  the 
holes  he  can  go  through  but  one,  letting  this 
be  at  the  bottom  of  the  coop.  Place  the 
trap  as  near  the  hole  on  the  outside  as 
you  can  get  it,  conceal  it  well  and  you  will 


44  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

catch    Mr.   Mink    the    first    night    he    comes 
around. 

Skin  the  mink  by  starting  the  knife  in  one 
hind  foot,  running  it  to  the  vent  and  thence 
to  the  other  hind  foot.  Take  the  skin  off 
whole  and  stretch  it  on  the  mink  stretcher 
described  on  page  26. 


THE   MUSKRAT. 


THE  muskrat  abounds  in  the  Northern, 
Eastern  and  Western  States,  but  is  very  scarce 
in  the  South.  It  lives  in  holes  in  the  banks  of 
streams,  and  houses  of  sticks  and  mud,  which 
it  builds  some  distance  from  the  banks  on 
tussocks  and  logs.  The  rat  can  be  trapped 
on  land  or  in  the  water. 


46  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

To  make  bait  for  the  rat,  take  the  musk  of 
one  rat  and  add  to  it  two  ounces  of  its  urine. 
Of  this  use  two  or  three  drops  for  a  bait. 
The  musk  of  the  rat  is  found  near  the  vent. 

Rats  can  be  trapped  successfully  without 
baits.  This  is  done  by  hunting  their  feeding 
grounds.  These  you  can  find  by  going  along 
the  edge  of  the  water.  On  discovering  the 
rat's  house,  go  above  and  below  it  and  you 
will  soon  find  where  they  make  trails  or  runs 
in  shallow  water.  Set  your  traps  across  these 
trails,  letting  them  go  two  or  three  inches 
under  the  water  and  cover  them  with  wet 
leaves,  grass  or  mud ;  fasten  the  traps  to 
stakes  on  one  side  of  the  trail  and  as  far  from 
it  as  the  chain  will  let  it  go. 

When  setting  your  traps  on  the  bank,  dig 
a  hole  the  size  of  the  trap,  letting  it  rest  on  a 
level  with  the  ground,  and  cover  it  with  the 
dirt  you  take  out  of  the  hole.  Let  fall  one 
or  two  drops  of  your  bait  on  each  side  of  the 
trap.  It  is  not  necessary  to  use  the  swinging- 


TEE  MUSKRAT.  47 

jack  or  drowning-pole  for  the  rat  as  the  trap 
will  soon  choke  or  squeeze  it  to  death. 

Skin  the  rat  by  starting  the  knife  in  the 
center  of  the  lower  lip,  split  the  hide  for  two 
or  three  inches,  skin  around  the  head  and 
take  the  hide  off  whole.  Stretch  the  skin  on 
the  rat  stretcher  described  on  page  26,  letting 
the  round  end  go  in  the  skin  and  making  it 
fast  with  three  or  four  tacks. 


THE  SQUIRREL. 

THE  squirrel  is  found  in  most  parts  of  the 
United  States,  but  is  most  numerous  in  the 
South.  There  are  three  varieties,  the  gray, 


-•v3-':''. 


the  fox,  and  the  ground  squirrel.  The  two 
former  live  in  hollow  trees ;  the  latter  bur- 
rows in  the  ground.  The  squirrel  subsists  on 
mast,  corn,  buds,  and  the  like. 


THE    SQUIRRF.l..  49 

Use  corn  for  bait.  Go  where  the  squirrel 
lives  and  make  a  trail  by  dropping  shelled 
corn  every  three  or  four  inches.  Set  traps 
'every  twenty  or  thirty  feet  in  the  trail  ;  con- 
ceal them  well  and  make  them  fast  to  stakes. 
The  little  fellow  on  finding  the  trail  of  corn 
will  attempt  to  follow  it. 

Try  this  process  and  you  will  have  a  mess 
of  squirrels  every  day. 


THE    RABBIT. 


THE  rabbit  is  found  throughout  the  United 
States  generally.  Besides  the  common  spe- 
cies, there  is  a  larger  variety  called  the  mule- 
eared  rabbit  which  is  found  in  the  prairie 
countries.  The  rabbit  has  no  particular  den 
or  place  to  stay,  but  makes  himself  at  home 
anywhere  around  the  farm  in  the  hedges  and 
underbrush,  and  at  night  prowls  the  gardens, 
fields,  and  orchards.  The  rabbit  subsists  on 
bark  and  vegetables  of  different  kinds,  and 
is  very  destructive  to  gardens  and  young 


THE  RABBIT. 


5' 


orchards,  cutting  the  plants  and  barking  the 
young  trees. 

For  bait,  turnips,  potatoes  or  apples  may 
be  used. 

In  order  to  trap  the  rabbit,  search  the  farm 
for  its  trails  in  gullies  and  drains,  and  also 
notice  where  it  regularly  goes  through  the 
fences.  Set  your  trap  in  its  path  within  two 
or  three  inches  of  the  fence,  conceal  it  well, 
and  make  it  fast  to  a  stake.  No  bait  is  needed 
at  a  place  like  this. 

In  drains  or  gullies  where  you  have  seen 
trails,  set  the  trap  in  the  trail,  making  it  fast 
to  a  stake.  Place  the  bait  within  three  or  four 
inches  of  the  trap  on  each  side.  After  find- 
ing one  bait,  the  rabbit  will  go  along  slowly 
in  order  to  get  the  other  one. 

Skin  the  rabbit  by  splitting  the  skin  from 
one  hind  foot  to  the  other  in  the  manner  de- 
scribed for  the  mink  ;  take  the  hide  off  whole 
and  stretch  it  on  the  mink  stretcher  described 
on  page  26. 


THE  SKUNK. 


THE  skunk  inhabits  every  State  in  the  Un- 
ion, burrowing  generally  for  its  home  in  a 
high,  dry  country.  It  increases  very  fast, 


THE   SKUNK. 


53 


having  its  young  once  a  year,  generally  in  the 
month  of  May,  and  having  from  two  to  six 
young  at  a  birth.  It  subsists  on  rats,  birds, 
frogs,  and  similar  food.  The  skunk  is  a  very 
clumsy  animal,  and  depends  on  slipping  on 
its  prey  and  catching  it  before  it  is  aware  of 
the  enemy's  presence. 

For  bait  for  the  skunk,  the  flesh  of  rats, 
birds  or  fowls  of  any  kind  may  be  used. 

In  hunting  this  animal,  search  the  hills  and 
hollows  of  dry  regions.  The  scent  of  its  musk 
will  generally  be  guide  enough  to  bring  you 
to  its  den,  and  on  finding  it  you  will  see  trails 
running  in  almost  every  direction  from  it. 
Place  your  traps  on  the  trails,  well  concealed, 
and  make  them  fast  to  stakes.  Drop  your 
bait  on  each  side  of  the  trap  and  six  inches 
from  it. 

In  order  to  take  the  scent  from  the  skunk 
before  skinning,  tie  the  carcass  in  swift  run- 
ning water,  with  the  head  down  stream,  and 
leave  it  there  for  twenty-four  hours. 


54  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

To  skin  the  skunk,  start  the  knife  in  one 
hind  foot  and  split  the  skin  to  the  vent  and 
from  there  to  the  other  hind  foot.  Take  the 
skin  off  whole  and  stretch  it  on  the  skunk 
stretcher  described  on  page  27. 


THE  OTTER. 


THE  otter  is  found  in  most  of  the  United 
States,  but  is  by  far  more  numerous  in  the 
South  and  West  than  elsewhere.  It  lives  in 
holes  in  the  banks  of  streams  and  lakes,  sub- 
sisting principally  on  fish.  It  has  its  young 
once  a  year,  generally  in  the  month  of  April, 
having  from  two  to  four  at  a  birth.  In  hunt- 


56  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

ing  otter  it  is  usual  to  find  the  two  old  ones 
and  their  young  living  together.  It  can  be 
trapped  on  land  or  in  the  water  ;  but  as  its 
power  of  scenting  is  very  sharp  a  great  deal 
of  precaution  must  be  used. 

The  baits  for  the  otter  are  made  as  fol- 
lows : 

To  make  the  natural  bait  take  two  ounces 
of  "the  otter  urine,  two  ounces  fish  oil  and  five 
drops  otter  musk,  mix  well  and  use  three  or 
four  drops  for  a  bait.  The  musk  is  found 
near  the  vent  in  two  small  sacs. 

The  oil  of  cinnamon  is  also  a  first-rate 
bait ;  use  two  or  three  drops  of  it  on  the 
otter  slide. 

The  best  bait,  however,  is  made  of  the 
musk  of  the  skunk,  which  is  found  in  a  sac 
near  the  vent.  In  removing  it  split  the  skin 
around  the  sac  and  take  it  out ;  take  all  the 
surplus  flesh  off  and  wash  it  clean  ;  split  it 
open  and  drop  it  in  two  ounces  of  alcohol. 
Use  two  or  three  drops  for  a  bait. 


THE   OTTER. 


57 


In  hunting  the  otter  you  will  see  its 
tracks  on  sand  bars  and  places  where  it  wal- 
lows in  the  sand.  It  also  uses  steep  banks 
for  its  sli'de,  always  depositing  there  its  dung, 
which  consists  of  fish  scales  and  bones.  See- 
ing this  sign,  set  your  trap  at  the  foot  of  the 
slide,  three  inches  under  the  water,  and  use 
a  drowning  pole,  placing  it  as  far  to  one  side 
as  the  chain  will  permit  it  to  go.  Let  the 
upper  end  of  the  pole  go  under  the  water  for 
a  foot  or  more.  Dig  a  hole  in  the  slide  the 
size  of  your  trap,  place  the  trap  in  it  on  a 
level  with  the  ground  and  cover  it  nicely 
with  the  earth  from  the  hole,  leaving  the 
slide  as  natural  as  you  found  it.  Drop  the 
bait  six  inches  above  the  trap  on  the  slide, 
using  in  this  place  the  natural  bait.  Now  go 
ten  or  twelve  feet  above  or  below  the  slide, 
and  with  your  ax  make  another  that  resem- 
bles the  original  slide  ;  set  your  trap  in  the 
same  manner  and  use  the  bait  made  of  the 
musk  of  the  skunk. 


58  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

Here  is  another  way  of  setting  for  the 
otter.  On  the  upper  end  of  the  slide  you 
will  find  what  is  called  their  wallowing 
places,  which  are  connected  by  a  trail.  Set 
the  trap  on  this  trail,  well  concealed  and  fas- 
tened to  a  stake  ;  leave  everything  as  natural 
as  you  found  it.  Use  one  or  two  drops  of 
the  oil  of  cinnamon  six  inches  from  the  trap 
on  each  side.  Never  try  to  swing  the  otter 
in  the  air  as  he  is  too  sharp  to  stand  any 
"banjo-work"  of  that  kind. 

Skin  the  otter  by  starting  the  knife  at  one 
hind  foot,  split  the  skin  straight  to  the  vent, 
and  from  there  to  the  other  hind  foot  ;  start 
then  at  the  vent  and  split  the  tail  to  the  end  ; 
take  the  hide  off  whole  and  stretch  it  on 
the  otter  stretcher  as  described  on  pages  27 
and  28 


THE  BEAVER. 


THE  beaver  is  found  generally  throughout 
the  United  States,  but  in  greater  numbers  in 
the  South  and  West.  This  is  a  water  ani- 
mal, and  lives  in  holes  in  the  banks  of  streams 
and  houses  which  it  makes  of  sticks  and  mud 
in  the  center  of  lakes.  Its  food  is  bark,  corn, 
mast,  grass,  and  the  like.  It  has  its  young 


60  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

once  a  year,  generally  in  the  month  of  April, 
giving  birth  to  from  two  to  six  at  a  time,  but 
its  increase  is  not  rapid,  the  young  requiring 
four  years  in  which  to  get  their  growth.  In 
hunting  beaver  you  will  find  from  two  to 
eighteen  in  a  family.  Many  writers  say  the 
beaver  has  as  many  as  two  hundred  in  its 
family,  but  that  is  a  mistake. 

Before  describing  the  baits  for  the  beaver 
it  is  first  necessary  to  mention  the  castor,  or 
bark  sacs,  and  the  oil  stones  of  that  animal. 
These  are  found  in  both  sexes  in  four  sacs 
near  the  vent ;  there  being  two  of  the  bark 
sacs  and  two  of  the  oil  sacs  or  stones.  In 
taking  these  from  the  beaver  cut  around  the 
sacs,  leaving  all  four  together,  and  clean  off 
all  the  flesh.  You  will  know  the  castor  sacs 
by  their  being  grown  together  at  the  small 
ends  ;  these  contain  a  yellow  substance  while 
the  oil  stones  are  of  a  long,  round  shape  and 
contain  an  oily  substance. 

In  order  to  obtain  the  contents  of  the  cas- 


THE  BEAVER.  6  I 

tor  sacs,  tie  the  small  ends  with  twine,  and 
rub  them  gently  between  your  hands  until 
the  musk  seems  to  be  in  a  soft  state  ;  then 
cut  a  hole  in  the  large  end  of  the  sac  and 
press  out  its  substance.  To  get  the  oil  from 
the  oil  stone,  cut  the  small  end  off  and 
squeeze  the  stone. 

The  baits  of  the  beaver  are  made  as  fol- 
lows : 

Take  the  castor  sacs  of  one  beaver,  add 
twenty  drops  of  oil  of  cinnamon,  ten  drops 
of  oil  of  anise  and  enough  urine  of  the 
beaver  to  make  the  bait  of  about  the  consist- 
ency of  mush. 

Take  the  castor  sacs  of  one  beaver,  add 
seven  drops  of  the  oil  of  sassafras,  seven 
drops  of  the  oil  of  anise,  and  ten  drops  of  the 
oil  from  the  oil  stone. 

Take  the  castor  sacs  of  one  beaver,  add 
ten  drops  Jamaica  rum,  one  drop  of  oil  of 
anise,  one  drop  oil  of  cloves,  one  drop  oil  of 
sassafras,  and  two  drops  of  oil  of  rhodium. 


62  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

Take  the  castor  sacs  of  one  beaver,  add 
ten  drops  of  the  oil  from  the  oil  stone  and 
enough  of  the  beaver's  urine  to  make  the 
bait  of  the  consistency  of  mush  ;  this  last  is 
called  natural  bait. 

In  hunting  the  beaver  you  will  find  small 
trees  cut  down  and  barked  by  them,  and  will 
come  across  their  dams  on  small  streams  and 
the  outlets  of  lakes  and  the  slides  which  they 
make  by  throwing  mud  out  of  the  water  on 
the  banks.  You  can  feel  pretty  sure  that 
you  have  beaver  near  by  when  you  find  the 
timber  freshly  cut,  the  dams  recently  worked 
on,  and  the  slides  showing  evidences  of  hav- 
ing been  lately  used  and  played  on.  Set 
traps  on  all  the  fresh  slides  where  the  water 
is  deep  enough  to  use  your  drowning-pole ; 
and  in  deciding  as  to  the  depth  you  should 
be  governed  by  the  length  of  your  trap- 
chain. 

For  the  first  two  nights  do  not  use  any 
bait  on  the  slides  made  by  the  beaver,  but 


THE  BEAVER.  63 

simply  set  the  trap  in  the  lower  end  of  the 
slide,  three  inches  under  the  water ;  cover  it 
lightly  with  wet  leaves  and  mud,  and  leave 
everything  so  far  as  possible  as  natural  as 
when  you  found  it.  By  going  along  the 
banks  you  will  find  places  where  you  can  use 
your  drowning-pole ;  here  make  a  slide  as 
near  like  the  original  as  you  can  by  shoving 
leaves  out  of  the  water  on  to  the  bank ;  set 
the  trap  three  inches  under  the  water  at  the 
foot  of  your  slide,  taking  pains  to  conceal  it 
well  with  leaves  and  mud,  and  make  it  fast  to 
the  drowning-pole.  Place  the  bait  six  inches 
above  the  trap  on  a  leaf  in  the  slide  and 
place  another  leaf  over  it  and  thus  prevent 
the  sun  from  killing  the  bait.  Set  as  many 
traps  as  you  think  there  are  beavers.  Use 
the  perfumed  bait,  that  is,  any  one  of  the  first 
three  described  above,  on  the  slides  you 
make  yourself  for  the  first  two  nights.  Then, 
if  you  think  you  have  not  caught  all  of  the 
beavers,  bait  the  traps  that  have  been  set  on 


64  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

the  original  slides  with  natural  bait ;  this  will 
fool  the  oldest  beaver  that  lives. 

Use  your  boat  if  possible  while  setting 
traps  for  beaver,  but  if  you  cannot  do  that, 
make  use  of  your  rubber  boots,  being  careful 
not  to  drag  through  the  brush. 

Skin  the  beaver  by  starting  the  knife  in 
the  center  of  the  under  lip,  split  the  skin  to 
the  tail,  and  skin  the  legs  whole  ;  be  careful 
and  not  leave  any  fat  or  pelt  on  the  skin,  as 
it  is  much  easier  to  take  off  with  the  knife 
while  skinning  than  after  you  have  gotten 
the  skin  off. 

Use  the  hoop-stretcher  in  stretching  the 
beaver  or  any  other  open  skin.  Cut  small 
holes  about  two  inches  apart  around  the 
edge  of  the  skin  and  make  it  fast  to  the  hoop 
with  twine  or  bark  ;  place  the  stretching  stick 
lengthwise  with  the  skin  and  stretch  the 
hoop  until  the  skin  is  perfectly  tight. 

The  hoop-stretcher  is  described  on  page 
28. 


THE    RACCOON. 


THE  raccoon  exists  to  some  extent  in 
nearly  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  but  is 
most  numerous  in  the  South  and  West.  It 
lives  in  hollow  trees  and  its  own  burrows, 
subsisting  principally  on  corn,  mast,  fish, 
frogs,  and  insects.  It  increases  at  a  rapid 
rate,  getting  its  growth  in  one  year  and  usu- 

5 


66  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

ally  having  from  two  to  six  young  yearly, 
generally  in  the  month  of  May.  The  coon 
can  be  trapped  on  land  or  in  the  water.  It 
is  a  great  craw-fish  and  frog  hunter,  and  very 
often  hunts  the  chicken-roost 

The  flesh  of  fish,  birds,  or  fowls  of  any 
kind  may  be  used  for  bait  alone,  or,  still  bet- 
ter, together  with  two  drops  of  the  oil  of  cin- 
namon let  fall  near  the  trap.  This  will  draw 
the  coon  a  long  way. 

But  the  best  bait  is  made  by  adding  to  two 
ounces  of  honey  thirty  drops  of  the  oil  of 
cinnamon ;  use  five  or  six  drops  of  this  for  a 
bait. 

In  hunting  the  coon  go  to  the  banks  of 
streams,  lakes,  or  ponds,  and  look  for  its 
tracks  and  trails  in  the  edge  of  the  water. 
From  these,  by  observing  carefully,  you  will 
find  trails  leading  to  the  den.  Set  your 
traps  across  these  trails,  letting  them  down 
on  a  level  with  the  ground  by  digging  a  hole 
the  size  of  your  trap,  which,  when  set,  you 


THE  RACCOON.  67 

will  do  well  to  conceal  from  the  sight  of  the 
animal  by  a  covering  of  leaves  or  grass. 
Make  the  trap  fast  to  a  stake,  and  place  the 
bait  five  or  six  inches  from  it  on  each  side. 

If  setting  in  water,  place  the  bait  on  a  stick, 
letting  it  be  above  the  water.  The  animal 
after  getting  one  bait  will  attempt  to  cross 
the  trap  to  get  the  other.  Traps  may  be  set 
on  the  trails  forty  yards  apart. 

The  skin  of  the  raccoon  should  be  re- 
moved and  stretched  in  the  same  manner  as 
that  of  the  beaver,  except  that  the  legs 
should  be  split.  See  page  64. 


THE  OPOSSUM. 


THE  opossum  is  commonly  found  in  most  of 
the  United  States,  and  in  some  of  them  is 
very  numerous.  It  makes  its  home  in  hollow 


THE    OPOSSUM.  69 

logs  and  burrows  in  the  ground.  It  multi- 
plies very  rapidly,  having  its  young  once  a 
year,  generally  in  the  month  of  May.  Its 
means  of  subsistence  are  wild  grapes,  berries, 
persimmons,  fowls  of  all  kinds,  and  dead 
horses  and  cows,  when  it  can  find  them. 

The  opossum  is  a  great  chicken-roost  rob- 
ber, and,  being  a  very  clumsy  animal,  depends 
on  slipping  on  to  the  roosts  and  getting  hold 
of  the  fowls  before  they  are  aware  of  its  pres- 
ence. 

The  bait  for  the  opossum  is  made  by  ad- 
ding to  two  ounces  of  grapes  or  persimmons 
twenty  drops  oil  of  cinnamon  and  ten  drops 
oil  of  anise. 

Or,  take  the  flesh  of  birds  or  fowls  and  use 
two  or  three  drops  oil  of  anise  or  cinnamon 
near  the  bait.  This  will  attract  the  opossum 
tfor  a  long  way,  and  on  coming  near  he  will 
see  or  smell  the  bait  and  attempt  to  get  it. 
The  opossum  must  be  trapped  on  dry  land. 

In  hunting  this  animal,  go  to  where  there 


7<D  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPERS  GUIDE. 

are  grapes  or  persimmons  to  be  found  and  look 
for  its  tracks.  On  finding  them,  look  further 
for  a  crevice  or  angle  in  the  forks  of  a  log  or 
roots  of  a  tree ;  place  the  trap  in  the  large 
portion  of  the  angle,  and  having  concealed  it 
well,  make  it  fast  to  a  stake.  Place  the  bait 
six  inches  from  the  trap  in  the  small  portion 
of  the  angle. 

If  the  opossum  has  been  visiting  the  chicken- 
roost,  and  has  killed  one  of  the  fowls,  place 
its  carcass  in  some  hole  or  corner  near  where 
it  was  left ;  then  set  your  trap  in  the  manner 
just  described  and  you  will  catch  the  'possum 
the  next  night. 

The  skin  of  the  opossum  should  be  re- 
moved and  stretched  in  the  same  manner  as 
that  of  the  beaver,  except  that  the  legs  should 
be  split.  See  page  64. 


THE  WILDCAT. 


THE  wildcat  is  found  principally  in  the 
Southern  and  Western  portions  of  the  United 
States.  It  subsists  on  squirrels,  rabbits, 
birds,  and  fowls  of  all  kinds,  and  dwells  in 
burrows  in  the  ground.  It  has  its  young  once 
a  year,  generally  in  the  month  of  May,  having 
from  two  to  six  young  at  a  birth. 


72  HUNTER'S    AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

Fresh  squirrels,  rabbits,  birds  or  fowls  of 
any  kind  will  serve  as  a  bait  for  the  wildcat. 

Save  the  blood  of  the  fowl  and  use  it  in 
making  trails  for  your  traps,  also  use  the 
urine  of  the  cat  on  or  near  your  bait.  The 
cat,  in  striking  the  trails  of  blood,  will  follow 
them  to  the  traps,  and  on  smelling  the  scent 
of  its  kind  will  come  to  the  bait  without  fear. 

In  hunting  the  wildcat,  search  for  its  tracks 
in  gullies  and  ravines,  near  water  in  the 
woods,  and  look  out  for  its  dung  on  knolls  or 
logs  that  cross  streams.  Set  your  trap  in 
such  a  ravine,  conceal  it  well,  and  make  it 
fast  to  a  stake  ;  drop  a  bait  on  each  side  of  it, 
about  six  inches  from  it ;  make  trails  from 
the  bait  by  dropping  blood  on  each  side  of  the 
trap  for  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  and  use  three 
or  four  drops  of  urine  near  the  bait.  When 
the  animal  finds  the  trails  of  blood,  it  will 
follow  them  to  the  bait.  After  getting  one 
of  the  baits  it  will  attempt  to  cross  the  trap 
to  get  the  other. 


THE    WILDCAT. 


73 


Or,  set  a  trap  near  the  knoll  where  you  find 
the  dung,  and  one  near  the  log  where  it  crosses 
the  stream  in  the  manner  just  described.  One 
or  two  drops  of  oil  of  sassafras  may  be  used 
near  the  bait,  and  will  draw  your  game  a  long 
way.  By  this  process  you  will  soon  break 
into  the  arrangements  of  the  wildcat. 

The  directions  for  removing  and  stretching 
the  skin  of  the  beaver,  given  on  page  64,  apply 
to  the  wildcat,  except  that  the  legs  of  the  lat- 
ter should  be  split. 


THE  FOX. 


FOXES  are  of  three  kinds  :  the  gray,  the  red, 
and  the  silver  fox.  The  two  former  are  found 
in  almost  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  but 
in  the  greatest  numbers  in  the  South  and 
West.  The  silver  fox  is  not  found  in  the 
South,  but  is  very  numerous  in  portions  of 
the  North. 

The  fox  generally  burrows  in  the  ground 
near  water,  but  sometimes  stays  in  thick  cane- 
brakes  and  deadenings  without  living  in  holes. 


THE  FOX.  75 

It  has  from  two  to  six  young  once  a  year, 
generally  in  the  month  of  May. 

As  bait  for  the  fox,  use  fresh  rabbits,  birds, 
or  fowls  of  any  kind  in  small  pieces  ;  save  the 
blood  of  the  rabbit  or  fowl,  using  it  the  same 
day  you  get  it  in  order  that  it  may  be  fresh. 
After  catching  one  fox,  save  its  urine,  and  go 
to  their  dung  hills  that  are  fresh,  and  mix  the 
dung  and  urine,  making  a  thin  mush  of  them. 

In  hunting  the  fox,  go  along  the  stream 
near  the  top  of  the  bluff  or  bank,  and  look  for 
the  tracks  of  the  fox  and  for  holes  that  are 
large  enough  for  it  to  live  in.  On  finding 
holes  recently  inhabited  you  will  also  see  trails 
leading  to  the  water  and  to  little  knolls  where 
the  fox  leaves  its  dung. 

You  will  also  find  trails  leading  to  logs  that 
lie  across  streams  and  serve  the  fox  as  bridges 
for  crossing. 

Set  one  trap  on  the  trail  that  runs  to  the 
water,  hiding  it  nicely  and  making  it  fast  to  a 
stake  on  one  side  of  the*  trail ;  drive  the  stake 


76  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

until  the  top  goes  under  the  ground,  and  leave 
everything  as  natural  as  you  found  it.  Use 
no  bait  on  this  trail. 

Set  one  trap  on  the  trail  between  the  den 
and  the  knoll  where  the  dung  is  dropped  ;  con- 
ceal and  fasten  it  in  the  manner  just  described. 
Use  a  little  of  the  natural  bait  five  or  six 
inches  from  the  trap  toward  the  dung  pile. 

Place  one  trap  say  half-way  between  the 
den  and  the  log  used  for  crossing  a  stream. 
Also  find  a  log  that  forks  and  forms  a  V,  or 
a  crevice  at  the  foot  of  a  tree.  Place  the 
bait  in  the  sharp  end  of  the  V  or  crevice, 
using  fresh  rabbits  or  fowls  for  bait,  and  use 
a  little  of  the  natural  bait  too.  Place  the 
trap  eight  or  ten  inches  from  the  bait  in  the 
outer  end  of  the  crevice,  concealing  it  well 
and  making  it  fast  to  a  stake,  and  leaving 
everything  as  natural  as  possible.  Sprinkle 
blood,  making  a  trail  each  side  of  your  trap 
for  fifteen  or  twenty  feet.  The  animal  on 
striking  these  blood  trails  will  follow  them  to 


THE  FOX. 


77 


the  trap  and  smelling  his  own  kind  will  at- 
tempt to  get  the  bait  without  fear. 

Go  to  the  crossing  log  and  on  observing 
closely  you  will  find  where  the  fox  gets  up 
and  down  on  the  log.  On  finding  this  set  your 
trap  on  the  trail  twelve  inches  frofh  the  log, 
concealing  it  well  and  making  it  fast  to  a 
stake.  Drop  blood  on  the  log  and  on  each 
side  of  the  trap,  and  let  fall  also  a  few  drops 
of  the  natural  bait  near  the  trap.  The  fox 
on  finding  the  blood  and  scent  of  his  own 
species  will  attempt  to  trail  it  over  the  trap 
without  fear.  By  this  process  you  will  catch 
your  family  of  foxes  in  two  or  three  nights. 

Never  try  to  swing  the  fox  in  the  air  as  he 
is  too  sharp  to  stand  any  monkeying  of  that 
kind. 

The  skin  of  the  fox  should  be  removed 
and  stretched  in  the  manner  described  for 
the  beaver  on  page  64,  except  that  the  legs 
should  be  split. 


THE  WOLF. 


THREE  kinds  of  wolves  are  found  in  the 
United  States,  the  black,  the  gray  and  the 
prairie  wolf.  This  is  a  very  shy  animal  and 
is  naturally  most  numerous  in  the  Western 
and  least  settled  States  and  Territories.  The 


THE    WOLF. 


79 


wolf  remains  in  the  thickest  of  the  forest 
during  the  day  and  at  night  comes  out  and 
prowls  the  surrounding  country.  It  has  its 
young  once,  and  sometimes  twice  a  year,  hav- 
ing from  two  to  four  at  a  birth.  It  subsists 
on  sheep,  hogs,  deer,  young  calves,  and  such 
other  animals  as  it  can  destroy.  The  wolves 
collect  in  large  packs  in  order  to  capture 
their  prey.  This  animal  must  be  trapped  on 
dry  ground  or  in  very  shallow  water. 

As  bait  for  the  wolf  there  may  be  used  the 
blood,  flesh,  or  entrails  of  sheep,  hogs,  deer, 
calves,  rabbits,  or  any  other  animal  that  does 
not  subsist  on  flesh. 

To  make  the  natural  bait  take  two  ounces 
of  the  urine  of  the  wolf  and  add  one-quarter 
ounce  of  asafetida.  This  is  used  on  the 
trails  and  near  the  bait. 

In  hunting  wolves  go  along  the  edge  of 
the  thickest  woods  late  in  the  evening  and,  if 
there  are  any  wolves  about,  you  will  be  likely 
to  hear  them  howl.  On  finding  their  tracks 


8O  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

tie  a  string  to  your  bait  and  drag  it  for  one 
hundred  or  two  hundred  yards  to  a  large 
tree,  to  which  you  may  fasten  it,  letting  it 
swing  five  feet  from  the  ground.  Place  two 
or  three  traps  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  the 
length  of  their  chains  apart  ;  conceal  them 
well  and  make  them  fast  to  a  stake,  leaving 
everything  about  the  place  as  natural  as  you 
can.  Place  two  or  three  traps  on  the  trail, 
using  eight  or  ten  drops  of  the  mixture  of 
urine  and  asafetida  on  both  sides  of  your 
traps. 

The  wolves  on  striking  this  trail  will  fol- 
low it  to  the  bait,  some  getting  caught  on 
the  trail  and  some  at  the  foot  of  the  tree. 

Remove  and  stretch  the  skin  of  the  wolf 
in  the  manner  described  for  that  of  the  bea- 
ver on  page  64,  but  the  legs  of  the  wolf  should 
be  split. 


THE  BEAR. 


m 


THE  bear  has  been  driven  from  the  greater 
portion  of  the  North  by  the  thick  settlement 
of  that  part  of  the  country,  but  is  still  found 
to  some  extent  in  the  South  and  West. 

This  animal  lives  in  the  wildest  districts, 
generally  in  large  cane-brakes;  it  cuts  th< 
cane  and  makes  what  is  called  the  bear-house, 

6 


82  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

under  which  it  crawls  and  remains  during  the 
day,  though  sometimes  denning  in  hollow 
logs  and  trees. 

The  bear  does  not  stir  about  much  during 
the  three  winter  months,  but  lies  in  its  house 
or  den,  where  it  is  supposed  to  suck  its  paws 
for  a  living.  It  has  two  cubs  once  a  year, 
generally  in  the  month  of  May.  The  bear 
subsists  on  corn,  berries,  mast,  and  any  kind 
of  flesh  it  can  catch. 

The  bait  for  the  bear  is  simple  and  is  made 
by  adding  ten  drops  of  oil  of  anise  to  one  pint 
of  honey.  Use  forty  or  fifty  drops  for  a  bait. 
The  trapping  must  be  done  on  dry  land. 

In  hunting  the  bear  in  the  fall  and  spring, 
go  along  the  banks  of  lakes  and  streams  near 
thick  forests  and  cane-brakes,  where  you  sup- 
pose there  is  bear,  and  search  for  the  trails 
made  in  going  to  water.  If  the  trail  is  fresh, 
set  a  trap  on  it  as  near  the  water  as  you  can 
find  a  tree  suitable  to  make  your  swinging- 
jack.  It  requires  three  men  to  set  a  bear  trap 


THE   BEAR.  83 

or  hoist  a  log  large  enough  to  swing  the  bear. 
Conceal  the  trap  well  and  leave  everything  as 
you  found  it.  Do  not  use  any  bait  on  the 
trail,  but  go  up  the  trail  for  fifty  yards  or  more 
until  you  find  an  open  place  on  one  side  or 
the  other ;  here  set  a  trap  twenty  feet  on  one 
side  of  the  trail  in  the  manner  just  described, 
using  your  swinging-jack.  Commencing  at 
the  trail,  let  fall  one  drop  of  the  bait  every  two 
feet  until  you  get  within  two  feet  of  your  trap, 
then,  skipping  that,  place  forty  or  fifty  drops 
of  the  bait  on  the  opposite  side  and  two  feet 
from  it.  The  bear  in  traveling  his  own  trail 
will  strike  the  trail  of  bait  and  follow  it  over 
the  trap. 

If  you  find  the  bear  destroying  your  corn 
in  the  field,  follow  along  the  fence  until  you 
find  where  its  trail  crosses  it.  Set  the  trap 
on  the  inside  five  or  six  feet  from  the  fence 
on  the  trail,  and  drop  three  or  four  ears  of 
corn  and  three  or  four  drops  of  your  bait  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  trap  from  the  fence. 


84  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

Conceal  the  trap  well  and  use  the  swinging- 
jack  as  described.  Always  set  your  trap  for 
bear  in  the  morning,  so  that  your  scent  will 
get  off  before  night. 

In  removing  and  stretching  the  skin  of  the 
bear  follow  the  directions  given  for  the  bea- 
ver on  page  64,  but  split  the  legs  of  the  bear. 


THE  PANTHER. 


THE  panther  is  scarce  in  the  Northern  and 
Eastern  States  but  is  still  numerous  in  parts 


86  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

of  the  South  and  West.  It  lives  in  the  thick- 
est forests  and  cane-brakes  to  be  found,  keep- 
ing well  out  of  sight  during  the-  day  but  at 
night  prowling  about  the  surrounding  country 
capturing  sheep,  hogs,  young  calves,  deer  and 
any  animal  that  it  can  kill.  It  is  heard  scream- 
ing in  the  early  part  of  the  night  and  its  tracks 
are  found  about  the  farm  the  next  morning, 
and  probably,  too,  half  a  dozen  sheep  with 
their  throats  cut.  The  panther  drinks  the 
blood  of  his  victims,  and  if  there  is  a  drove  or 
herd  will  make  a  meal  entirely  on  blood,  kill- 
ing sometimes  as  many  as  five  or  six  animals. 
It  has  its  young  once  a  year,  generally  in  the 
month  of  May,  having  from  three  to  four  at  a 
birth.  The  only  bait  for  a  panther  is  its  urine 
or  a  live  sheep,  goat  or  hog, 'for  it  will  not  eat 
anything  it  does  not  itself  kill. 

The  panther  must  be  trapped  on  dry  land 
as  it  seldom  goes  into  water.  In  hunting  the 
panther  go  near  thick  cane-brakes  or  forests 
late  in  the  evening,  where  you  think  the  pan- 


THE  PANTHER.  87 

ther  lives,  and  both  look  for  its  tracks  and 
listen  for  its  screams.  When  convinced  that 
you  are  in  the  vicinity  of  the  panther  build  a 
pen  in  the  form  of  a  V,  leaving  the  large  end 
open  ;  cover  the  top  of  the  pen  with  small 
poles  or  trees  and  place  a  live  sheep,  goat  or 
hog  in  the  small  end  carefully  secured  to  it 
with  a  rope.  Set  your  trap  in  the  large  end 
of  the  pen,  conceal  it  well  and  use  the  swing- 
ing, jack  for  a  fastening.  If  the  panther  does 
not  come  the  first  night,  feed  and  water  the 
sheep,  for  it  will  be  pretty  sure  to  find  the 
bait  and  come  in  a  few  nights  and  attempt  to 
get  it. 

On  catching  one  by  this  process  be  sure 
to  save  its  urine.  Look  with  special  care 
for  its  tracks  where  logs  reach  across  streams. 
On  finding  tracks  at  such  a  place,  let  fall  one 
drop  of  the  animal's  urine  every  two  or  three 
feet  on  the  log  and  on  the  ground  at  each  end 
for  some  distance  from  it,  making  in  this  way 
a  trail.  Place  a  trap  on  this  trail  near  the  log 


88  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

and  conceal  it  well,  using  the  swinging-jack 
for  a  fastening.  Bait  the  trail  every  day  un- 
til you  catch  your  panther. 

The  skin  of  the  panther  should  be  removed 
and  stretched  in  the  manner  described  for 
that  of  the  beaver  on  page  64,  except  that 
the  legs  of  the  former  should  be  split. 


THE    DEER. 

THE  deer,  though  very  scarce  in  the  North 
and  East  of  the  United  States,  is  still  numer- 
ous in  parts  of  the  South  and  West.  It  has 
its  young  once  a  year,  generally  in  the  month 
of  May.  It  subsists  on  corn,  peas,  grass  and 
vegetation  of  various  kinds,  generally  feed- 
ing until  eight  or  nine  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, then  lying  down  until  late  in  the  evening 
(except  in  rainy  weather),  when  it  gets  up 
and  feeds  until  late  in  the  night,  after  which 
it  lies  down  again  until  nearly  daylight.  The 
deer  has  regular  crossings  on  streams  and 
roads  and  regular  trails  which  it  uses  in  the 
fall  of  the  year  while  rutting. 

To  make  the  bait  for  this  animal,  take  two 
ounces  of  the  deer's  urine,  and  five  drops  of 
the  oil  of  anise,  and  the  musk  of  one  deer. 


92  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

The  musk  is  found  in  a  small  hole  in  the  up- 
per end  of  the  split  of  the  hoof,  and  can  be 
taken  out  with  a  small  knife  blade. 

In  hunting  with  a  view  to  trapping  deer, 
look  for  their  crossings  on  streams  and  the 
trails  they  make  in  rutting  time.  Place  the 
traps  on  the  trails,  conceal  them  well,  and 
make  them  fast  to  the  swinging-jack.  Drop 
the  bait  along  the  trail  for  some  distance  on 
each  side  of  the  trap.  This  is  done  in  order 
to  make  the  deer  go  slowly,  so  that  it  will 
not  jump  over  the  trap  without  throwing  it. 

If  the  deer  bothers  your  field,  go  around 
it  until  you  find  where  the  animal  jumps  the 
fence,  which  it  does  every  night  in  the  same 
place.  Set  the  trap  inside  the  fence  in  the 
place  where  the  animal  lights,  making  it  fast 
to  the  swinging-jack. 

Skin  the  deer  by  starting  the  knife  in 
the  under  lip  and  split  to  the  tail,  then  split 
each  leg  and  stretch  the  skin  on  the  round 
stretcher. 


THE    WILD   TURKEY. 

THE  wild  turkey  has  been  driven  from  the 
North  by  the  thick  settlement  of  that  part  of 


the  country,  but  is  yet  found  in  large  num- 
bers in  parts  of  the  South  and  West.  It 
commences  laying  in  March  and  hatches  its 
young  in  May. 


94  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

The  old  and  young  ones  stay  in  flocks 
from  the  time  the  young  are  hatched  until 
the  mother  turkey  begins  to  lay  again.  The 
season  for  trapping  the  wild  turkey  is  from 
the  ist  of  October  until  the  ist  of  March, 
and  the  method  of  doing  it  is  quite  simple. 
Go  wherever  you  are  in  the  habit  of  seeing 
the  wild  turkey,  and  make  a  trail  of  shelled 
corn.  Let  the  turkey  get  your  corn  for  two 
or  three  days,  then  place  several  C  or  beaver 
traps  (see  page  114)  on  the  trail  well  con- 
cealed from  view.  Rebait  the  trail  and  also 
drop  some  corn  on  the  traps,  setting  them 
twice  the  length  of  their  chains  apart. 

When  one  turkey  gets  caught  the  rest  do 
not  know  what  it  is  flopping  about,  and  run 
up  and  begin  to  fight  it.  Very  often  in  this 
way  you  will  catch  the  principal  part  of  the 
flock  the  first  setting. 

The  Newhouse,  or  any  trap  that  catches 
by  the  foot,  will  not  answer  for  this  work,  for 
the  turkey  will  wring  his  foot  off. 


THE    PRAIRIE   DOG. 


THE  prairie  dog  is  found  in  the  Southern 
and  Western  prairie  countries.  Numbers  of 
them  live  together  in  holes  they  make  in  the 
ground,  the  places  they  live  in  being  called 


96  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

prairie  dog  towns  by  the  Western  people. 
Some  of  these  "  towns "  cover  as  much  as 
three  acres  of  ground,  their  inhabitants  sub- 
sisting principally  on  grass  and  nuts.  They 
are  very  daring  and  stand  over  their  holes 
and  bark  at  a  stranger  who  approaches  their 
town.  If  you  shoot  one  while  it  is  standing 
over  its  hole  you  will  never  get  its  body,  as 
the  hole  is  perpendicular  for  four  or  five  feet, 
and  the  animal,  when  in  its  struggles  it  falls 
into  it,  gets  entirely  out  of  your  reach. 

In  order  to  catch  the  prairie  dog  set  five 
or  six  dozen  of  the  A  traps  (see  page  112) 
in  the  dog  town,  and  conceal  them  well  from 
the  sight  of  the  dogs,  having  made  them  fast 
to  stakes.  In  a  few  hours  you  will  have 
more  dogs  than  you  will  know  what  to  do 
with.  No  bait  is  used  in  trapping  them. 

In  skinning  the  prairie  dog,  the  legs  should 
be  split,  otherwise  the  skin  should  be  re- 
moved and  stretched  in  the  same  manner  as 
that  of  the  beaver.  See  page  64. 


THE  ALLIGATOR. 


THE  alligator  is  found  only  in  the  South, 
in  some  parts  of  which  it  is  very  numerous. 
It  increases  very  fast  and  subsists  on  fish, 
turtles,  or  any  animals  it  can  catch  in  or  near 
the  water. 
7 


98  HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

As  bait  for  the  alligator,  flesh  of  any  kind 
may  be  used. 

In  order  to  find  the  proper  place  to  trap 
the  alligator  go  along  the  edges  of  streams  or 
lakes  until  you  notice  where  it  crawls  out  to 
sun,  and  if  it  is  a  fair  day  you  will  be  pretty 
sure  to  find  the  alligator  himself.  All  that 
you  will  find  it  necessary  to  do  will  be  to  cut 
a  stake  of  sufficient  strength  to  hold  your 
game,  then,  when  you  find  the  slides,  set  the 
trap  four  or  five  inches  under  water  and 
make  it  fast  to  the  stake.  Place  the  bait 
twelve  inches  from  the  trap  between  it  and 
the  bank  in  the  water.  The  alligator  will  be 
attracted  by  the  scent  of  the  bait  and  will  at- 
tempt to  get  it.  Use  the  D  trap  (see  page 
115)  for  the  alligator. 

Skin  by  splitting  the  hide  from  the  center 
of  the  under  lip  to  the  end  of  the  tail  and 
split  the  legs.  The  skin  does  not  need 
stretching. 


HOW  TO  HUNT  THE  BEAR. 

FIND  a  trail  where  the  bear  comes  to 
water  and  then  select  a  tree  that  you  can 
climb,  twenty  or  thirty  yards  to  one  side  of 
the  trail.  About  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning 
take  a  position  in  the  tree  from  which  you 
can  keep  a  close  watch  up  the  trail.  On  see- 
ing the  bear,  get  all  ready  to  shoot,  letting 
Bruin  come  as  close  as  you  want  him  to, 
then  give  a  bleat  and  he  will  stop.  That  is 
the  time  for  you  to  shoot  if  your  finger 
doesn't  fail  to  work. 

In  the  spring  of  the  year  the  bear  feeds  on 
buds  ;  this  is  called  lapping  by  bear  hunt- 
ers. The  bear  climbs  the  trees  and  pulls  the 
small  limbs  to  him,  breaking  them  off  and 
making  a  great  racket. 

In  order  to  find  the  bear  when  lapping,  go 


IOO        HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

late  in  the  evening  or  early  in  the  morning 
and  listen  for  the  breaking  of  the  limbs.  On 
hearing  this,  notice  which  way  the  wind  is 
blowing  and  then  proceed  so  that  the  wind 
will  blow  from  the  animal  to  you.  When 
you  get  near  the  tree  he  is  in,  advance  so 
that  you  can  hide  yourself  behind  other 
trees  until  you  get  close  enough  to  shoot 
him  out,  and  be  careful  not  to  let  him  fall  on 
you. 

The  bear  can  be  hunted  successfully  with 
dogs.  The  cross  between  the  cur  and  the 
hound  makes  the  best  bear  dog.  In  hunting 
with  dogs  search  for  the  tracks  and  crossings 
and  notice  which  way  the  tracks  are  going. 
Follow  them  and  hiss  your  dogs,  leaving  a 
man  at  every  crossing.  When  the  dogs 
jump  the  bear  the  man  who  does  the  driving 
follows  the  dogs,  bringing  Bruin  to  bay. 
The  men  at  the  crossings  wait  for  their 
chance  to  shoot.  Very  often  the  bear  will 
take  a  near  route  and  miss  the  men  on  the 


HOW    TO   HUN 7    THE  BEAR.  IQI 

stands.  When  this  is  the  case  listen  for  the 
dogs,  try  to  get  the  course  they  are  running, 
and  make  an  effort  to  get  in  ahead  of  them. 
In  doing  this  take  stands  for  the  bear  again 
and  again,  and  when  you  get  a  shot  put  it 
well  that  you  may  get  pay  for  yqur  work. 


HOW  TO  HUNT  THE  DEER  BY 
DAY  OR  NIGHT. 

IN  hunting  the  deer,  there  is  one  point  very 
necessary  to  know,  and  that  is,  how  to  get 
close  enough  to  get  a  shot  after  sighting  the 
deer.  This  animal  in  feeding  always- shakes 
its  tail  just  before  it  raises  its  head  to  look, 
and  shakes  it  again  just  before  it  lowers  its 
head  again  to  feed  The  deer  pays  but  little 
attention  to  what  is  going  on  around  it  when 
it  has  its  head  down. 

When  still-hunting,  walk  very  slowly  and 
survey  the  ground  well  ahead  of  you.  Stop 
at  times  and  look  as  far  in  advance  as  your 
eyes  will  permit  you  to  see.  On  sighting  the 
deer,  look  at  it  well  until  you  see  that  it  has 
its  head  up  ;  then  watch  the  tail ;  when  it 
shakes  walk  fast,  still  watching  the  tail  ;  when 


HO W   TO   HUNT   THE  DEER.  \£>\ 

\j 

it  shakes  again,  stop  and  stand  stock-still 
until  it  shakes  again ;  then  advance,  and  so 
on  until  you  get  close  enough  to  shoot.  If 
there  are  more  than  one,  when  you  shoot  stand 
perfectly  still ;  the  rest  are  not  apt  to  run  off 
immediately  after  the  first  shot  ;  they  may 
make  a  jump  or  two  and  then  stop  and  look  : 
at  this  moment  raise  your  gun  and  bring  an- 
other down — that  is,  if  you  have  not  got  the 
buck  ague  too  bad. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  the  deer  do  their 
rutting,  commencing  about  the  first  frost. 
The  male,  or  buck  deer,  make  what  are  called 
buck-scrapes  by  pawing  the  ground  with  their 
feet  like  a  bull,  generally  near  a  tree  where 
they  can  wring  the  limbs  or  branches  with 
their  horns  while  pawing.  Both  sexes  of  the 
deer  visit  the  buck-scrapes  early  in  the  morn- 
ing. The  doe  generally  comes  first,  then  the 
buck.  Having  found  a  buck-scrape,  go  early 
in  the  morning,  say  at  daylight;  conceal  your- 
self thirty  or  forty  yards  to  one  side  of  the 


IO4        HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

scrape,  keep  quiet  and  watch  the  scrape. 
When  the  doe  comes  shoot  her  down,  and  let 
her  lie  there,  you  keeping  your  position  and 
waiting  for  the  buck.  Watch  the  scrape  until 
nine  o'clock,  and  you  will  probably  have  a 
chance  to  kill  two  or  three.  This  is  an  effec- 
tive way  to  hunt  deer.  I  have  killed  as  many 
as  three  on  one  scrape  in  a  single  morning. 

The  deer  feeds  in  open  woods,  prairies  and 
fields  at  night.  You  will  do  well  to  keep  a 
look-out  while  hunting  in  the  day  for  its  fresh 
tracks  and  dung,  so  that  at  night  you  will  be 
prepared  to  take  your  head-light  and  pocket 
compass  and  hunt  where  you  have  seen  the 
fresh  sign.  Keep  your  compass  in  your  hand 
and  notice  it  often.  Go  straight  for  some 
distance,  then  turn  to  the  right  or  left,  as,  if 
you  do  not  do  this,  you  will  get  lost  and  hunt 
the  same  ground  several  times  over.  The 
deer's  eyes  shine  a  bright  red,  and,  when  you 
are  close  enough  to  shoot,  seem  to  be  two  or 
three  inches  apart.  When  you  discover  the 


HOW    TO  HUNT    THE  DEER.  105 

eyes  of  the  deer,  if  it  is  some  distance  from  you, 
you  can  scarcely  distinguish  them  apart ;  they 
look  like  a  streak  of  fire.  When  this  is  the 
case  do  not  go  straight  forward,  but  advance  at 
an  angle  with  the  deer  until  you  can  see  a 
space  of  two  or  three  inches  between  its  eyes. 
Aim  for  the  space,  and  if  you  are  a  good  shot 
your  bullet  will  penetrate  the  brain. 

In  order  to  distinguish  the  eyes  of  the  deer 
from  those  of  sheep,  goats,  cattle,  hares,  dogs, 
and  other  animals,  watch  the  eyes  closely  for 
two  or  three  minutes,  and  if  the  animal  bats 
its  eyes  it  is  not  a  deer  or  antelope,  for  they 
never  bat  their  eyes  when  looking  at  a  light, 
while  other  animals  will. 

There  are  also  ways  in  which  to  hunt  deer 
and  antelopes  with  dogs,  but  it  does  not  seem 
advisable  to  either  describe  or  use  them,  as 
they  drive  the  game  out  of  the  country.  The 
deer  and  antelope  are  trapped  and  hunted 
alike,  as  there  is  but  little  difference  in  their 
nature. 


HOWTOHUNTTHEWILDTURKEY. 

COMMENCE  training  your  dog  when  he  is 
young  by  setting  him  on  fowls  of  any  kind  : 
shoot  them  for  him,  giving  him  their  heads 
and  letting  him  drink  their  blood.  Take  him 
turkey-hunting  with  you  and  when  you  see 
fresh  tracks  call  your  dog's  attention  to  them. 
He  will  soon  learn  to  trail  the  turkey,  flushing 
the  fowls  in  trees  for  you  and  standing  and 
barking  at  them  until  you  come  up.  Their 
nature  is  such  that  when  flushed  they  fly  up 
in  the  timber,  and  if  the  dog  stays  and  barks 
at  them  they  will  remain  in  the  branches 
watching  the  dog,  paying  no  attention  to 
anything  else  and  thus  giving  you  all  the 
chance  you  need  to  get  close  enough  to 
shoot. 


HOW   TO   HUNT   THE    WILD    TURKEY.     107 

In  the  spring  of  the  year,  when  the  turkeys 
are  gobbling  and  laying  their  eggs,  they  can 
be  tolled  by  imitating  the  call  of  the  turkey- 
hen.  This  can  be  done  on  a  green  leaf  or 
with  a  quill.  In  hunting  turkeys  at  that  time, 
go  before  dawn  to  where  you  have  seen  fresh 
signs  and  listen  for  the  gobble  of  the  turkey. 
On  hearing  this  go  on  until  you  are  within 
shooting  distance  of  him  and  then  wait  quietly 
until  it  is  light  enough  to  shoot  him  out  of 
his  tree.  Then  listen  for  another  and,  on  hear- 
ing him,  slip  within  one  or  two  hundred  yards 
of  him  and  seat  yourself  against  a  tree  that 
is  larger  than  your  body,  with  the  turkey  front- 
ing you.  Place  your  gun  between  your  knees 
making  a  rest  of  them.  Then  open  negotia- 
tions with  the  turkey  by  making  three  or  four 
calls  on  your  yelper ;  if  he  answers  you  yelp 
again  ;  then  wait  and  listen  to  see  whether  he 
is  coming  or  not ;  if  he  seems  to  get  closer 
call  him  again.  When  he  gets  within  a  hun- 
dred yards  of  you  quit  calling  ;  watch  every 


IO8         HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

move  he  makes  and  keep  your  gun  on  him 
until  he  gets  close  enough  to  shoot.  The 
greatest  care  must  be  used,  for  if  you  make 
the  slightest  move  while  he  is  looking  at  you 
he  will  run  or  fly  off. 


ABOUT  TRAPS. 

FOR  regular  trapping,  the  steel  trap  is  un- 
doubtedly the  best,  and  largely  so  because  of 
the  ease  with  which  it  can  be  moved  from 
place  to  plac£. 

In  the  preface  I  spoke  of  the  Newhouse 
trap,  which  for  many  years  took  the  lead.  I 
will  now  try  to  explain  some  of  its  defects. 


NEWHOUSE   TRAP. 


First.      There    are    four    different    places 
where  the  game  can  step  into  the  Newhouse 


IIO         HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

trap  and  out  again  without  throwing  it.  These 
are  shown  by  the  letter  "  o  "  in  the  illustra- 
tion. 

Second.  The  trap  is  intended  to  catch  by 
the  foot  only,  but  it  can  be  thrown  by  either 
the  foot  or  the  body  and  still  not  catch  the 
game.  Many  a  day  have  I  labored  hard  set- 
ting two  or  three  dozen  Newhouse  traps, 
using  my  best  skill  and  judgment,  with  the 
knowledge  that  I  would  get  a  chance  at  ten  or 
fifteen  animals  that  night.  On  going  to  my 
traps  the  next  morning  I  have  found  fifteen 
of  twenty  thrown,  some  of  them  holding  a 
toe-nail,  some  a  little  fur  pulled  from  the 
animal's  body,  and  the  rest  with  not  more 
than  two  or  three  animals  in  all  of  them. 

There  are  two  ways,  for  instance,  in  which  an 
animal  can  step  on  the  treadle  of  the  trap  and 
throw  it  without  being  caught.  One  is  when 
it  steps  with  the  foot  partly  on  the  lever  and 
partly  on  the  treadle,  pressing  the  latter  down 
and  throwing  the  trap.  The  lever  being 


ABOUT    TRAPS.  \  \  \ 

forced  up  by  the  jaws,  lifts  the  animal's  foot 
above  the  jaws  and  clear  of  them,  or  so  nearly 
so  that  they  only  catch  it  by  the  toes  which 
it  readily  pulls  off  and  is  free  once  more. 

Again,  when  the  animal  steps  with  its  heel 
on  the  treadle  and  its  toes  projecting  over 
the  jaws  of  the  trap,  and  thus  causes  the  trap 
to  fall,  the  jaws  throw  the  foot  out  and  the 
game  escapes. 

So,  also,  a  short-legged  animal  like  the 
beaver  and  otter,  after  missing  the  treadle 
with  its  forefeet,  will  drag  its  body  over  the 
trap  and  thus  throw  it,  pinching  a  little  fur 
from  its  body,  and  getting  a  scare  th  it  it  will 
not  get  over  for  a  week,  perhaps,  but  other- 
wise escaping  unhurt. 

Third.  In  catching  by  the  foot  only,  the 
Newhouse  trap  gives  the  animal,  even  after 
it  is  caught,  every  opportunity  to  break  away 
or  mutilate  its  fur  in  its  struggles  to  escape. 

And  fourth.  The  treadles  of  the  New- 
house  traps  are  so  small  that  the  chances  of 


I  I  2          HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GVIDE. 

an  animal  throwing  them  so  that  they  can 
catch  are  never  great  at  any  time.  The 
treadle  of  No.  i  is  a  circle  only  one  inch 
in  diameter,  while  those  of  Nos.  2,  3,  4,  5 
and  6  have  a  diameter  respectively  of  but 
one  and  three-quarter  inches,  two  and  one- 
quarter  inches,  two  and  one-half  inches,  three 


MINK    OR    RAT    TRAP. 


inches,  and  three  and  one-half  inches. 

It  is  evident  from  this  that  there  are  many 
difficulties  to  contend  with  in  using  the  New- 
house  trap,  and  that  it  is  not  a  reliable  in- 
strument. 

I  will  now  explain  my  body  traps  and 
point  out  some  of  their  advantages. 

A  is  the  mink  or  rat  trap.     It  has  fourteen 


ABOUT    TRAPS.  \  13 

inches  spread  of  jaws,  and  is  eight  and  a  half 
inches  long  when  thrown.  The  treadle  of 
this  trap  is  seven  inches  in  length  and  one 
inch  wide.  The  mink  or  rat  stands  with  its 
feet  from  three  to  four  inches  apart,  and  thus 
there  are  from  nine  to  thirteen  inches  in 
which  to  catch  the  animal,  allowing  it  to 
throw  the  trap  with  its  feet  or  body.  The 
treadle  is  placed  one-half  inch  on  one  side  of 
the  trap.  If  the  animal  passes  over  the  trap 
from  the  side  opposite  to  the  treadle  it  will 
be  caught  just  behind  the  shoulders.  If  it 
comes  from  the  side  on  which  the  treadle  is, 
it  will  be  caught  just  in  front  of  the  shoulders. 
This  trap  corresponds  to  No.  \l/2  of  the 
Newhouse  traps. 

B  is  the  coon  trap,  and  is  adapted  to  catch- 
ing that  animal,  opossums,  skunk,  and  oth 
of  like  size.     This  trap  has  eighteen  inches 
spread  of  jaws,  and  is  ten  and  a  half  inch*  ^ 
long   when   thrown.      It    has  a  treadle    nin 
inches  long  and  one  inch  wide.    The  coon  am1 


114         HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

opossum  stand  with  the  feet  four  inches  apart, 
so  that  there  are  thirteen  to  seventeen  inches 


B. — COON    TRAP. 


in  which  to  capture  the  game.  This  trap  can 
be  used  in  catching  animals  of  less  size  and 
corresponds  to  No.  2  of  the  Newhouse  traps. 


C. — BEAVER    OR    OTTER   TRAP. 


ABOUT   TRAPS.  I  1  5 

C  is  the  beaver  or  otter  trap.  It  has  twenty- 
four  inches  spread  of  jaws  and  is  fourteen 
inches  long  when  thrown.  The  treadle  is 
twelve  inches  in  length  and  one  inch  wide. 
The  beaver  and  otter  stand  with  the  feet 
six  inches  apart,  so  that  there  are  eighteen 
to  twenty-three  inches  in  which  to  catch 
them.  This  trap  is  adapted  to  use  for  beaver, 
otter,  fox,  cats,  and  other  animals  not  over 
twelve  inches  high,  and  corresponds  to  Nos. 
3  and  4  of  the  Newhouse  traps. 


D. — ALLIHATOR    OR   WOLF   TRAP. 


I  i  6         HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

D  is  the  alligator  or  wolf  trap.  It  has  forty- 
eight  inches  spread  of  jaws,  and  is  twenty- 
nine  inches  long  when  thrown.  The  treadle 
is  twenty-four  inches  long  and  one  and  one- 
half  inches  wide.  Alligators  and  large  wolves 
stand  with  their  feet  one  foot  apart,  so  that 
there  are  forty-eight  inches  in  which  to  capture 
them.  The  trap  is  adapted  to  catch  besides 
the  wolf  and  alligator  other  animals  not  over 
twenty-four  inches  high. 

E  is  the  bear  or  deer  trap.  It  has  six 
feet  spread  of  jaws,  and  is  three  and  one- 
third  feet  long  when  thrown.  The  treadle 
is  thirty-six  inches  long  and  two  inches 
wide.  The  bear  and  deer  stand  with  the 
feet  from  ten  to  fifteen  inches  apart,  so 
that  there  are  from  forty-six  to  fifty-one 
inches  in  which  to  catch  them.  This  trap 
can  be  used  safely  for  all  animals  not  over 
three  feet  high,  and  corresponds  to  Nos.  5 
and  6  of  the  Newhouse  traps. 

These   traps  brace  themselves  at  both  bot- 


ABOUT    /A'.-//'.V.  I  17 

torn  and  top  and  cannot  be 
broken  by  the  animal.  No 
lever  is  used  to  support 
the  treadle,  which  form 
catch  within  itself,  leaving 
nothing  in  the  trap  when 
thrown  but  the  animal. 


E. — BEAR  TRAP. 


Besides  this,  they  do  not 
catch  the  animal  by  the 
foot,  leaving  it  a  long  time 
to  live  and  struggle,  but 
by  the  body,  so  that  death 
speedily  follows. 


Il8         HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S  GUIDE. 

Then,  too,  neither  the  trap  itself  injures 
the  fur  nor  gives  the  animal  an  opportunity 
to  do  so. 

To  sum  up,  these  traps  are  superior  to  the 
Newhouse  : 

First,  in  that  the  treadles  are  very  much 
larger  and  enormously  increase  the  "  catching 
space,"  and  hence  the  chances  of  capturing 
the  game. 

Second,  there  is  no  lever  to  be  forced  up 
by  the  jaws  with  the  result  of  throwing  the 
game  out  of  the  trap. 

Third,  they  catch  by  the  body  and  hold 
the  game  fast. 

Fourth,  they  do  not  injure  or  permit  injury 
to  the  fur. 

Fifth,  comparing  sizes,  they  are  lighter 
than  the  Newhouse  traps. 


THE  ALEXANDER  TRAP  CLAMP 
AND  MOVABLE  TEETH. 


ALEXANDER     TRAP    CLAMP. 


BY  using  this  clamp,  a  man  or  boy  can  set 
with  ease  the  largest  sizes  of  the  body  traps. 
In  order  to  do  this,  turn  the  trap  bottom  up- 
ward, and  place  the  clamp  on  the  spring  as 
near  as  possible  to  the  jaws  ;  then  turn  the 
clamp  down  until  it  brings  the  ends  of  the 
spring  together  and  place  the  treadle  in  its 
proper  position,  holding  it  there  until  you 
have  released  the  clamp.. 

The  Ay  B,  and  C  traps  can  be  easily  set  in 


I  2O         HUNTER'S  AND    TRAPPER'S   GUIDE. 

the  following  manner  without  using  the 
clamp  :  The  trap  being  on  the  ground,  and 
right  side  up,  place  one  foot  on  the  spring 
near  the  jaws,  and  take  hold  of  the  latter 
with  both  hands  ;  throw  all  your  weight  on 
the  spring,  and  at  the  same  time  increase 
your  pressure  on  it  by  pulling  upon  the  jaws. 
On  making  the  ends  of  the  spring  meet,  throw 
the  jaws  open  and  set  the  trap. 

Two  movable  teeth  are  furnished  with  each 
trap,  and  may  be  used  or  not  at  the  discre- 
tion of  the  trapper.  These  are  placed  on  the 
jaws  of  the  trap  and  pierce  the  animal  through 
and  through,  causing  death  very  quickly.  They 
do  no  injury  to  the  skin  beyond  making  a 
small  hole,  as,  being  movable,  they  follow  the 
motion  of  the  animal  in  its  struggles,  and 
consequently  do  not  tear  the  skin.  They  are 
not  a  necessary  part  of  the  trap,  which  will 
hold  the  game  whether  the  teeth  are  used  or 
not,  but  are  furnished  for  the  benefit  of  those 
who  wish  to  make  "  assurance  doubly  sure." 


IF    YOU     WANT    TO    MAKE     TRAPPING 
PROFITABLE    BUY 

ALEXANDER'S 

PATENT  STEEL  BODY  TRAPS, 

Which  will  be  ready  and  for  sale  about  January  i,  1888. 


They  are  superior  to  any  animal  trap  ever  manufactured,  in  (hat — 

1.  Having  very  large  treadles  and  jaws  of  corresponding  length,  ihe  chances 

of  capturing  game  are  enormously  increased. 

2.  As  they  catch  firmly  by  the  body,  instead  of  the  foot  or  paw,  they  always 

HOLD  the  game  when  once  caught. 

3.  They  do  not  injure  the  fur,  nor  permit  the  animal  to  do  so  in  its  struggles 

to  escape. 

4.  They   are   lighter   for  corresponding   sizes   than   any   other   traps   in  use, 

and  are 

SIMPLE,    SURE,    AND    STRONG. 


SATISFACTION  IS  GUARANTEED.— If  the  trap  is  not  in  every 
respect  what  it  is  represented  to  be,  it  may  be  returned  in  good  order  and  the 
purchase  money  will  be  refunded. 

It  is  manufactured  in  five  different  sizes,  as  follows  : 
"A" — (14  inches  spread  of  jaws),  for  Mink  or  Muskrat,  and  other  animals  of 

like  size. 
"  B  " — (18  inches  spread  of  jaws],  for  Coon  or  Opossum,  and  other  animals  of 

like  size. 

"C" — (24  inches  spread  of  jaws),  for  Beaver,  Otter,  or  Fox/ and  other  ani- 
mals of  like  size. 
"  D  " — (48  inches  spread  of  jaws),  for  Alligator  or  Wolf,  and  other  animals  of 

like  size. 
"E" — (72  inches  spread  of  jaws),  for  Deer  or  Bear,  and   other   animals  of 

like  size. 

With  each  Trap  there  is  a  chain,  for  which  there  is  no  extra 
charge.  Dealers  supplied  only  by 

H,  L  PENCE,  Sole  Agent  United  States  and  Canada, 

84  Spring  Street,   New  York. 

Orders  for  small  lots  at  retail,  by  purchasers  in  the  South  and  West,  may 
be  sent  to  TONY  ALEXANDER,  Bogue  Chitto,  Lincoln  Co.,  Miss. 

*+*Send  to  either  of  the  above  addresses  for  descriptive  circulars  and 
price  lists. 


TONY    ALEXANDER'S 

PRACTICAL 

Hunters'  and  Trappers'  Guide. 

THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  ART 

TOLD    BY    AN     EXPERIENCED     TRAPPER,    IN    HIS 
OWN   WAY,    TO    THE 

HUNTERS  AND  TRAPPERS  OF  AMERICA. 


Beautifully    Illustrated    and    bound    in    cloth,   with    gold 
side  stamp.     Price,  $1.00. 


No  book  has  ever  been  published  which  can  compare  with  this 
in  its  actual  value  to  that  large  class  of  men  who  make  a  livelihood 
by  trapping  animals  for  their  fur,  or  to  farmers  who  have  more  or 
less  occasion  to  use  traps.  The  author,  who,  for  many  years,  has 
been  the  most  famous  and  successful  trapper  in  the  South  and 
West,  discloses  in  this  book  the  secrets  which  he  has  learnt  from 
the  observation  of  nature  and  by  experiment,  and  to  which  he 
owes  his  own  success.  The  recipes  for  bails  and  directions  for 
their  use  are  alone  worth  a  dozen  times  the  price  of  the  book. 

Copies  will  be  mailed,  postage  paid,  on  receipt  of  $1.00  by 

H.     L.    PENCE, 

84  Spring  Street,  New  York, 

Or  TONY  ALEXANDER,  Bogue  Chitto,  Lincoln  Co.,  Miss. 


THE  ALEXANDER    TRAP   CLAMP.  121 

In  order  to  use  the  teeth,  first  set  the  trap, 
and,  holding  it  with  one  hand,  place  the  teeth 
over  the  jaws  with  the  other,  allowing  them 
to  rest  on  the  jaws  a  short  distance  from  the 
ends  of  the  treadle. 

The  reader  has  already  been  cautioned 
against  springing  the  trap  while  the  teeth  are 
on  the  jaws. 


RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED  | 

LOAN  DEPT. 

RENEWALS  ONLY— TEL.  NO.  642-3405 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewecjfbuukj  mu  j^hjogji  i«  iMimiiiate  recall. 


LD21A-60w-6,'69 

(J9096slO)476-A-32 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


General  Library 


